This is gut-check time for the Republican Party. They can be serious about taking back the Congress, or they can look good losing. Pat Toomey may be ideologically pure,but he can’t win in Pennsylvania. If he could, John Cornyn wouldn’t be taking such a strong position for Specter (and against Toomey). Arlen Specter can be a maddening figure to many conservatives, but he sides with the Republican leadership more often than not, and for the GOP to have any chance to take back the Senate a year from November, they need his seat to stay Republican.

Here’s Feehery, again, in 2009, praising then-Republican Charlie Crist as the most “electable” Republican. And also praising Crist for standing with Obama to promote his economic stimulus package.

Crist has made some tough calls that have angered some of his constituents. For example, he took the stimulus money from the Federal government, and actually had the temerity to appear with the President in an event promoting the economic stimulus package. But that decision has not only helped Crist politically with general election voters, it has also helped Florida by giving the governor more leverage with the White House when it comes to other issues.

Marco Rubio and Pat Toomey, or Charlie Crist and Arlen Specter? Easy decision for me, and for most Republicans. And while John will point to so-called “extreme” candidates that lost in the past, he also conveniently ignores “electable” moderates like Denny Rehberg (who actually ran against the Ryan Budget!) and Rick Berg who lost winnable Senate races in Montana and North Dakota last cycle, in states easily carried by Mitt Romney.

The Idaho race perfectly represents the friction going on within the Republican Party right now. In a race with no possible chance of a Democrat being elected (Idaho’s 2nd CD is an R+17), groups like the Realtors and the Chamber of Commerce supported the candidate that supports an agenda of corporate welfare and bailouts. The Club’s PAC supported the candidate that did not. So yes, I can’t wait to support more champions of economic freedom next cycle. Trillions in debt can’t go on forever – despite what folks like John Feehery think.